Chapter 144
"ramen's here!"
Soon, Ichirakus Uncle brought out the freshly made ramen.
Late at night, after a full day of arduous training, to have a steaming bowl of ramen... this was truly Naruto's dream of a perfect life! He immediately started drooling and, ignoring the heat, wolfed it down in large mouthfuls.
"Eat slower, you idiot..."
Jiraiya couldn't help but frown.
"Because I've been hungry for ages..."
Kotetsu Hagane laughed, "Naruto works so hard, he must be really tired. If I were him, I'd probably have passed out already..."
"Even though he's young, his Chakra and stamina are monstrously abundant..."
Jiraiya nodded, took a bite, and exclaimed, "It really tastes the same!"
"It's truly nostalgic..."
Ichirakus Uncle narrowed his eyes and said, "Yes, back in the day, you, Lady Tsunade, and even Orochimaru, often came here to eat ramen after finishing missions."
"It's just a shame... things have changed so much..."
Jiraiya's heart stirred, "You're right."
Ichirakus Uncle sighed, "Lady Tsunade traveled the world and never returned to the Village."
"As for Orochimaru, he betrayed the Village, becoming a notorious criminal Ninja who strikes fear into everyone's hearts..."
"I heard he recently snuck back into the Village; I'm afraid he's up to no good..."
"However, seeing that Jiraiya-sama has also returned, I feel much more at ease..."
"If anyone can deal with that monster, it would have to be Jiraiya-sama..."
Naruto said while eating, "Is this Pervy Sage... gulp gulp... really that amazing?!"
Ichirakus Uncle laughed, "Does that even need to be said?"
"In the entire Village, besides Hokage-sama, no one else can compare to Jiraiya-sama!"
Jiraiya burst out laughing, "Indeed, Teuchi, you have good judgment!"
"Unlike some brats, who are short-sighted and show no respect for true powerful elders..."
Naruto pouted, "Can you blame me?!"
"Who told you to be peeping when I first met you? My first impression couldn't possibly have been good!"
..."Ignorant brat! That's called research!"
"Oh, speaking of which, is Jiraiya-sama still writing novels?"
"Of course, writing is my greatest hobby. I travel the world precisely to gather material for my writing."
"Writing? This Pervy Sage can write?!"
Ichirakus Uncle said, "Of course! Jiraiya-sama's make-out paradise series is a sensational bestseller throughout the Ninja World!"
Naruto was stunned for a moment.
"Ah, ah!"
"The 'make-out paradise' that Kakashi-senseialways holds onto, it turns out you, Pervy Sage, wrote it!"
Jiraiya looked smug, "Is that so?"
"I didn't expect Kakashi to have such good taste!"
Naruto pouted, "I see. Such inappropriate novels are indeed only something you adults would care about."
"If the Pervy Sage is overtly perverted, then Kakashi-sensei is the subtly perverted type!"
Jiraiya slapped him on the back of his head.
"You damn brat, what are you spouting such blunt truths for!"
The Ichiraku Ramen shop immediately erupted in laughter... Since someone else was paying, Naruto, of course, didn't hold back, eating seven or eight bowls until he was satisfied.
He rubbed his bursting stomach and let out a big, contented burp.
"Ah, I'm stuffed..."
"So satisfying!"
"Thanks for the treat, Pervy Sage!"
"Eh?!"
Naruto turned his head to look, but there was no sign of the Pervy Sage; he had long since vanished without a trace!
"What's going on?! Where's that Pervy Sage?!"
Ichirakus Uncle scratched his head.
"Oh, he said he drank too much and went outside to clear his head."
Ayame couldn't help but laugh, "Clear his head? He already ran off!"
Naruto immediately realized he'd been tricked and erupted in anger, "That damned old man! He said he'd treat me, but I still have to pay with my own money?!"
Kotetsu Hagane couldn't help but say, "Naruto, how about I treat you...?"
Naruto, of course, couldn't accept.
"How can I let Uncle Kotetsu, who helped me all day, pay the bill?!"
"It's all that Pervy Sage's fault!"
"Alright, alright, let me do it..."
He pulled out his frog wallet and, with a pained expression, took out several large bills.
Ichirakus Uncle laughed, "Jiraiya-sama isn't that easy to deal with..."
"Naruto, you must be careful and wary of him."
Naruto snorted, "Now I know what kind of person he is!"
After saying goodbye to the Ichiraku Ramen shop, Naruto thanked Kotetsu Hagane again and walked home, seething with indignation.
Jiraiya, however, reappeared from the darkness.
"Jiraiya-sama?"
Kotetsu Hagane gave a wry smile, "Since you're still here, why did you let Naruto pay?"
Jiraiya said, "This is what's called tempering!"
"If he doesn't experience such things, how can he grow?"
"Anyway, let's not talk about that..."
"What do you think of Naruto?"
Kotetsu Hagane answered truthfully, "Originally, I had some hostility towards him, but seeing how excellent and hardworking he is, I really can't dislike him..."
"Is that so?"
Jiraiya showed a slight smile.
"That guy truly has that kind of power..."
"Jiraiya-sama, are you back because of Orochimaru?"
Jiraiya shook his head, "Not really."
"It's mainly for Naruto, but of course, Orochimarualso needs to be dealt with."
"For Naruto... How do you plan to teach him?"
"There's less than a month until the Chunin Examsfinals..."
Jiraiya sighed.
"I had already prepared, but this kid messed up all my plans..."
"I originally wanted him to gain an initial grasp of the Nine-Tailed Chakra within him, but this stubborn kid doesn't want to use the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's power..."
Kotetsu Hagane's heart also stirred.
"He doesn't want to use the Nine-Tailed's power, but Naruto is, after all..."
"The Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, I know that, of course."
"One step at a time. Tonight, let me think carefully and formulate the most suitable training path for him..."
"Hmm, with Jiraiya-sama here, the entire Villagefeels at ease..."
"Don't say such boring things."
"Yes..."
...That night.
Naruto returned home and continued his rigorous training.
He followed the plan set by Kakashi-sensei, preparing for various enemies while comprehensively improving himself.
Currently, Naruto had developed a fighting style with Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Pseudo-NinjutsuTaijutsu forming a three-pronged approach.
What he needed to do was integrate all of these, making them completely his own.
He also reviewed the basic Genjutsu resistance training he did today for a long time.
Tomorrow, he planned to find that Pervy Sageagain and make him compensate him for his losses!
"Damn it, if he can't teach me powerful Ninjutsu, I'll never let that guy off!"
With these thoughts, Naruto soon fell asleep.
On the other side.
Jiraiya, however, went to another tavern, drinking alone while pondering how to teach Naruto.
His original plan was to first teach him an initial understanding of the Nine-Tailed Chakra's power, then teach him to use this power to learn the Summoning Technique. This way, the Chunin Exams would definitely not be a problem.
But Naruto directly cut him off from the start.
"Wind Release Chakra Mode, huh?"
"It's certainly a brilliant idea, but..."
"It's absolutely not something that can be achieved in three to five years."
He recalled the various Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Naruto's own characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and fighting style that Narutodisplayed during their fight today... Jiraiya himself was not a genius Ninja.
He was able to reach the pinnacle of the Ninja World and become world-renowned more through diligence making up for lack of talent, accumulating experience and lessons step by step, and through acquired refinement.
"Should I teach him the Rasengan now?"
"However, it doesn't feel very suitable for Naruto..."
Jiraiya knew why Minato Namikaze created the Rasengan Ninjutsu in the first place.
Minato's fighting style was Flying Thunder Godteleportation to get in close, then a single fatal blow.
If he encountered an enemy difficult to defeat with a normal Kunai, he would need to use the Rasengan in conjunction with his attacks.
The advantage of the Rasengan... instant activation!
No hand signs needed!
Concentrated and sufficient damage!